Gemma pretiosa della virtuose donne

This is ‘Gemma pretiosa della virtuose donne’, or ‘The precious gem of virtuous women,’ made by Isabella Catanea Parasole. It is an Italian book of lace patterns, printed with woodcut, from the late 16th or early 17th century. At the time, the production of lace was an important economic activity for women and girls in Europe. This image speaks to the increasing availability and circulation of pattern books that democratized access to design ideas. Printed books enabled patterns to spread rapidly between countries and across social classes. The title 'The precious gem of virtuous women' implies that the art of lace making was not just a craft or a business, but also a symbol of feminine virtue, connecting the industriousness of women with social values. The graphic nature of the print relates to the technological means of production in early modern Europe. As historians, we can turn to these books to understand the changing roles and values ascribed to women and to trace the changing economic landscape in which they lived.